Key Ops Dispatch
April 2005

Vol. 5, No. 1

Included in this issue:
1 Reserve Atlanta Rooms Now for Regional Users Meeting
2 No Change in Software Package Fees Next Year
3 Report Writer Boot Camp May 5-6 in Fort Worth
4 What’s New in Dealer Station® DDMS Edition
5 Getting Started with Tech Data PSN Services
6 S.P. Richards Transmits Invoices via PSN
7 Protecting Your Data for Dedicated Procedures
8 Troubleshooting Customer Period-End Failure
9 RouteTrak Pro Displays Signatures On the Web
10 Tell Us What You Think

1 Reserve Atlanta Rooms Now for Regional Users Meeting

If you plan to attend the DDMS Southeast Regional Users Meeting in Atlanta May 20-21, 2005, we urge you to make your hotel reservations as soon as possible.

The meeting will be held at the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown in Atlanta, GA. While there are still some rooms available, capacity at this hotel and several others is filling up quickly due to a citywide convention that week.

All DDMS customers are invited to join us for the users meeting, which will take place (corrected 4/27) Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, 2005. The meeting offers basic system training, hands-on software labs, and a special track of classes just for furniture dealers. Scheduled sessions include:

Furniture Track

Supplies Basics Track

General Accounting Track

Information about the Southeast Regional Users Meeting is now online, including the schedule, session descriptions, and online registration.

The registration fee for the Southeast Regional Users Meeting is only $295 per person. This fee includes breakfasts and lunches, snacks, and meeting materials.

In order to provide an optimal learning environment, individual class sizes will be limited. Register now to reserve your place!

We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta! However, if you can’t make this one, ECi will host three more regional users meetings later this year:

Comprehensive meeting information is available online. We are in the process of finalizing hotel arrangements for some of these meetings. We will notify you via e-mail when the meeting information and online registration for each event become available. In the meantime, if you have questions regarding these events, please e-mail regionals@eci2.com or call (800) 959-3367 x3252.

2 No Change in Software Package Fees Next Year

ECi is pleased to announce that there will be no increase in your monthly software package fees for 2006. We recognize that high fuel costs and economic concerns are impacting companies in almost every industry. By holding the line on fees, we can help control your business technology costs. Predictable costs will make it easier to manage your resources and plan for the future growth of your company.

We are also excited that ECi 's revenue growth and financial status have enabled us to make this commitment. Today, ECi is stronger than it has ever been. We reported two months of record sales during the first quarter of 2005 and e-commerce transaction volumes continue to grow. Currently, our PSN and web storefronts process more than $1.3 billion annually in dealer e-commerce transactions.

ECi ’s financial strength will allow us to continue reinvesting in the company even without a change in fees next year. We are continuing to add infrastructure and internal resources to prepare for additional growth while ensuring that we maintain our high level of customer service.

3 Report Writer Boot Camp May 5-6 in Fort Worth

Whether you're a new DDMS recruit or a long-time user who wants to brush up on your Report Writer skills, our new Report Writer Boot Camp is the place for you!

This special, two-day class is unlike any Report Writer training we have offered in the past. You will receive hands-on instruction under the direction of experienced trainers. When you graduate, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to write basic reports from scratch or modify existing system reports to fit your company's needs.

The Report Writer Boot Camp will be held Thursday and Friday, May 5-6, 2005 in Fort Worth, TX. The curriculum includes:

We designed Report Writer Boot Camp to provide practical, hands-on experience with the software. You will actually write sample reports, such as a basic customer report or a simple inventory report, during the class. A team of experienced Report Writer instructors will conduct the class, so someone will always be standing by to answer questions or provide assistance.

This special, hands-on training is limited to 15 people and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost to attend is $300 per person, which includes lunches and training materials. To reserve your seat, please complete and fax the registration form (http://www.ecisolutions.com/assets/reg/reportwriter_bootcamp.pdf) today. Your registration will be confirmed by e-mail as soon as your form is received and processed.

If you can't attend this session, ECi plans to host another Report Writer Boot Camp later this year. We will notify you via e-mail when the details for the event become available.

4 What’s New in Dealer Station® DDMS Edition

ECi released Dealer Station® DDMS Edition Version 5.02 on February 19 with a dozen major enhancements, and met with the Dealer Station Advisory Council on March 9 to prioritize future enhancements.

Version 5.02 offers the following enhancements:

For more information about these features and where to find documentation on each feature, see What’s New in Dealer Station DDMS Edition. You'll find the updated documentation on our Dealer Station Documentation page:

To view the manuals, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4 or above. You can download it free from www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

ECi has recently expanded the number of application developers working on Dealer Station enhancements and will be implementing a multi-phase project to expand Dealer Station's search capabilities. The planned enhancements will make product searches both easier and faster, significantly improving site usability for your customers.

ECi senior management and product managers presented this information in March to the Dealer Station Advisory Council, a cross-section of dealers who represent the concerns of the user base. The council determined major enhancement priorities, including:

We hope that you find the new features in Dealer Station DDMS Edition beneficial in growing your e-commerce business. As always, new enhancement priorities will be integrated into ECi 's existing development plan based on the time requirements and available programming resources. The next software release is version 5.05, scheduled for mid-quarter in May 2005.

5 Getting Started with Tech Data PSN Services

ECi has released a PSN (Private Supply Network) service for Tech Data Corporation. The Tech Data PSN service will enable dealers to transmit purchase orders and request acknowledgements via the Internet.

There are three steps to get started with the Tech Data PSN service:

1. You will need to have loaded Tech Data item and pricing data from the latest quarterly OPdb® Multi-Vendor Catalog Update.

Note: Tech Data requires a password for all cost columns greater than level 1. Cost column passwords are NOT available through ECi Technical Support or O/PUS. To obtain your Tech Data cost column level and associated password, contact your Tech Data Office Dealer representative at 800-237-8931, ext. 89134.

2. Your PSN account must be set up to use the Tech Data PSN service. If you are not currently using the ECi PSN, you can you can set up an account and request Tech Data to be included as one of your PSN vendors by using the online form on the “Starting a New PSN Account” Web page.

If you are already using the PSN, you can simply add Tech Data to your existing PSN account by following the setup instructions according to the vendor's PSN documentation.

The Tech Data PSN service requires DDMS Version 7.7.o or later. If a software update is necessary, please email your request to ddmssupport@ecisolutions.com.

3. Obtain a reseller account with Tech Data. If you do not have a reseller account, go to www.techdata.com/content/visitor/overview/over_business.aspx. Click the reseller link.

In addition, you must have an XML EC ID number. This information is assigned by Tech Data. To get yours, call 1-800-237-8931, extension 88006. (The XML EC ID number and your reseller account are not the same thing. You must have both before you proceed.)

You will use this information when you set up your PSN parameters. For detailed instructions, see Setting Up and Using the Tech Data PSN.

Note: One important difference in the way the Tech Data PSN service operates is that you will not immediately receive your P/O acknowledgement. Tech Data processes orders overnight; you can request an acknowledgement the next morning. This function is documented under the Requesting Acknowledgements section (page 12 of “Setting Up and Using the Tech Data PSN for DDMS”).

For more information about Tech Data, its item file, its O/PUS parameters and its cost columns, see pages 1 & 2 of the January 1, 2004 FYI² Notes.

6 S.P. Richards Transmits Invoices via PSN

ECi enhanced the Private Supply Network (PSN) to provide electronic invoicing with wholesaler S.P. Richards Co. Dealers using ECi ’s DDMS(tm) business system software can download electronic versions of their invoices utilizing the PSN.

Electronic invoicing enables dealers to process invoices more efficiently and better manage their accounts payable processes. Implementing this functionality in the PSN provides ECi customers with fast Internet-based access to this data, eliminating the limitations and speed restrictions of conventional dial-up communications. The PSN also provides dealers with additional options for downloading invoices, including the ability to download invoices by number or date range, and to download invoices from multiple S.P. Richards distribution centers at one time.

There are no charges or additional fees for electronic invoicing or the PSN service from either S. P. Richards or ECi .

If you have never used electronic invoicing with S.P. Richards before, see Setting Up and Receiving Invoices: S.P. Richards.

If you already use the S.P. Richards PSN service for purchase order transmissions, stock and price checks, you will need to adjust the INV field in the (L6C) Sparco Ez-Order / Interactive parameter screen. For detailed instructions on setting up the electronic invoicing function of the S.P. Richards PSN service, see pages 3-4 of Setting Up and Using the S.P. Richards PSN.

To complete the process and reconcile any differences between the invoice and the purchase order, see Posting Electronic Invoices.

7 Protecting Your Data for Dedicated Procedures

Some DDMS system maintenance functions must be done in a dedicated environment. Dedicated functions are procedures that can only be performed when no one else is using the system, or, if performed while others are using certain system files, can corrupt the files or lock up the system.

The following procedures require some DDMS system files and applications to be run in a dedicated environment:

Note: Before you attempt to place the system in a dedicated state, first check the TBL Server window to make sure that all users and processes are no longer using the system.

To achieve a dedicated environment, you can place the system in Maintenance Mode. The Level M (Maintenance Mode) Shutdown restricts access to the system, so that some DDMS system files, applications, and procedures may be run in a dedicated environment.

A Level R (Reboot) Shutdown properly takes your system out of maintenance mode.

For detailed instructions, see File #261: Protecting Your Data for Dedicated Procedures.

8 Troubleshooting Customer Period-End Failure

During month-end and year-end, the Execute Customer Period End function in the (MK) Period End Functions screen updates the data in the text-based (AH) screen and graphical Customer History Total Sales Tab. It moves Customer History data from the current month-to-date column to the –1 previous month column, and updates the –2 and –3 previous month columns.

Situation: Under certain conditions, the Customer Period-End process can fail before it finishes processing the Customer History files. You will see a “Processing..........” message that does not change to “** Done **.” This problem is usually the result of a duplicate customer record in a file.

Solution: To eliminate any duplicate customer records that may be causing the month-end function to fail, you must restore Customer files from backup, rename the restored files in the (ZF7) utility, run a no-duplicates copy on each file in the (ZC2) utility, and delete the renamed files in the (ZF4) screen.

For detailed instructions, see File # 262: Troubleshooting Customer Period-End Failure.

9 RouteTrak Pro Displays Signatures On the Web

The RouteTrak Pro™ proof of delivery system integrates with supported ECi Web storefronts, offering Internet access to delivery dates and times as well as captured signatures. Customers can confirm delivery online instead of calling you!

See Setting Up & Using RouteTrak Pro™ Proof of Delivery for DDMS.

To learn how to access the delivery dates and times within your Web storefront, see File #263: Viewing Proof of Delivery in Dealer Station®.

If you're not using RouteTrak Pro, you can learn more and determine how much RouteTrak Pro will save you with our ROI (return on investment) calculator at www.ecisolutions.com/products/delivery/rtp/RouteTrakPro.htm

10 Tell Us What You Think

Can you think of anything we can do to make ECi Technical Support even better? Please send any comments or suggestions to keyops@eci2.com

If you have feedback or corrections to report for documentation, you can also send a simple email to docfeedback@eci2.com, but to help us find exactly what needs to be fixed, please use the online Documentation Feedback Form at www.DDMS.com/support/doc_feedback.htm

To submit Support requests, please enter detailed information about your problem at www.DDMS.com/support/supportcall.htm

The online form provides your Support tech with information regarding your issue, which is helpful before returning your call. You can also call us at 800-366-4778 or email us at ddmssupport@ecisolutions.com

For other ECi contact information, please see the Contact Us page: www.ecisolutions.com/company/default.htm#contactus

Key Ops Dispatch, an e-mail newsletter, comes free of charge to all DDMS customers.

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